久久亚洲国产成人影院-久久亚洲国产的中文-久久亚洲国产高清-久久亚洲国产精品-亚洲图片偷拍自拍-亚洲图色视频

Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
World
Home / World / Europe

Volunteers bring forth light in dark of winter

By JULIAN SHEA in London | China Daily | Updated: 2023-12-26 09:51
Share
Share - WeChat
A volunteer delivers a hamper containing food and gifts to an isolated community member, in north London, Britain, Dec 25, 2023. [Photo/Agencies]

Christmas is a time associated with family gatherings, home comforts, and the giving and receiving of gifts and goodwill, but for many displaced people these are some of the most significant things missing from life.

Even for those who have reached the end of their geographical migrant journey, the administrative one, which could decide where they spend the rest of their lives, can continue for months or years, often spent in temporary accommodation, so Christmas can be a particularly tough time.

In towns and cities across the United Kingdom, volunteers play an important role in helping displaced arrivals feel at least slightly at home and giving them some seasonal cheer.

Bassam Mahfouz is the director of Refugee Action Kingston, in southwest London, which this year supported about 1,500 people who are either refugees or seeking asylum.

He said that during Christmas, more than ever, this and similar groups across the country could not function without the contribution of volunteers trying to make the lives of those less fortunate in the depths of winter that little bit less bleak.

"We have around 145 volunteers across all sections of the service we offer — language teachers, counselors, people who help with job hunting, even basic needs and feeding people — they all help," he said.

"Our clients' lives are tough enough at the best of times, but it's even more challenging at Christmas. Some don't know whether they have a future in this country, and some will be living in tiny, confined spaces, so there's no special Christmas deal for them there.

Community connection

"We know that social isolation can be as bad for your physical health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, so we bring people together in a community hub to learn and connect with one another, and to be happy in a way they can't be, stuck in their rooms."

Of the 1,500 people Refugee Action Kingston worked with in 2022-23, 16 percent came from Afghanistan, 15 percent from Syria, 14 percent from Iran and 9 percent from Iraq. Of them, 300 used English language classes, and 100 were helped to secure improved immigration status, so the work done by volunteers makes a life-changing difference.

"Our areas of operation include basic needs, such as legal advice and advocacy, to make sure people make appropriate representation in relation to their cases and what they're entitled to," Mahfouz said.

"Almost all these people come to us with trauma — the trauma they left behind, the trauma of how they got here, or the trauma of being processed. Sometimes you will see child migrants playing, and they act out what they've seen in the places where they've come from, and it makes you realize the horrors they've gone through.

"There's so much change, and so much for them to deal with, that we try to help in whatever little way we can, like offering somewhere for people to gather and feel warm and get fed at Christmas."

Refugee Action Kingston has been working with refugees and migrants for more than 30 years, and it is one of many such groups across the country doing their bit to make newcomers feel a little bit more secure.

"About half the people we work with have been given their status and remain in Kingston thriving, which is fantastic," Mahfouz said.

Most Viewed in 24 Hours
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
主站蜘蛛池模板: 精品国产一区二区三区免费 | a级毛片高清免费视频 | 九九久久久久午夜精选 | 精品亚洲视频在线观看 | 欧美特级另类xxx | 毛片毛片毛是个毛毛片 | 手机看片国产免费久久网 | 久久视奸 | 国产高清一级毛片在线不卡 | 日韩精品视频免费在线观看 | 成人禁在线观看网站 | 男人天堂中文字幕 | 一级特黄一欧美俄罗斯毛片 | 亚洲一区二区三区免费视频 | 色久网| 国产九九免费视频网站 | 亚洲国产第一区二区三区 | 无遮挡一级毛片私人影院 | 99精品福利 | 成年女人毛片免费视频永久vip | 国产成人综合亚洲亚洲欧美 | 怡红院在线观看在线视频 | 国产精品成人不卡在线观看 | 日韩一级片播放 | 久久久久久久综合色一本 | 精品久久在线观看 | 精品久久成人 | 九九热国产精品视频 | 国产精品亚洲精品日韩已方 | 久久久久久久久久免观看 | 久久大陆 | 成人看片黄a在线观看 | 国产在线精品一区免费香蕉 | 成年人在线免费 | 精品自拍视频 | 两性色午夜视频免费国产 | 98国内自拍在线视频 | 亚洲日本一区二区三区 | 欧美性毛片大片 | 国产精品久久久久久久9999 | 日本激情视频在线观看 |